The bright spots on the map say it all. There's not a whole lot of dark sky, but an abundance of dark sky lights. Light "pollution" is everywhere.

Urban planners and environmentalists alike claim that light pollution interferes with our natural bio rhythms and disconnects us from the beauty of a starlit sky. While the brilliant auras of Tokyo's Shibuya Crossing or New York's Times Square aren't likely dim anytime soon, the people at the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) have established a set of guidelines for reducing light pollution in urban and suburban areas across the globe. In the broadest sense, dark sky rules ask that homeowners keep the glare to themselves. For many modern homes, this leads to some stunning outdoor lighting looks.

Best practices also dictate that outdoor lighting should avoid being projected beyond the object a given light intends to illuminate. For example, you'll notice the up lights on this home stay contained by shining only on the structure, and not up into the night sky. Fortunately, this look also suits the modern home aesthetic perfectly.

The move toward a darker nighttime sky is gaining traction in even the most un-likely urbanized places. In the July 2011 issue of Monocle magazine, Christine Loh, CEO of Hong Kong based think tank Civic Exchange, explains, "Street lighting can obviously make people feel safer but it doesn't have to be bright, bright, bright." If even a bustling city like Hong Kong - a city known for the nightly shows its skyline puts on - can move towards dark sky compliance, chances are we can all look forward to more starry skies in the years ahead.

So, we featured an image of this awesome art installation as one of our Facebook posts last week and we just couldn't let it go so we decided to blog about it too! A colorful and whimsical umbrella art installation floats above this promenade in Águeda, Portugal. It casts a shadow of geometric shapes on the ground below and fills the streets with a fairy tale like energy. This colorful public art installation is not only functional, but also brings uplifting energy into a quiet community during the lazy days of summer!

The sun shines through the umbrellas and they just light up in the sky! Bringing this type of vibrant energy into your own home is as simple as adding colorful modern ceiling lighting.

The juxtaposition of the bright colors and the natural elements of the historic buildings form such an interesting composition. The reflection of the colors in the glass windows creates a stained glass like effect.

Colorful glass pendant lighting looks beautiful when installed with this type of juxtaposition. The combination of the colorful sleek glass, mixed with historic brick walls, creates depth in design and adds visual interest to a space.

Photographers Patrícia Almeida and Diana Tavares were able to capture the amazing umbrella installation with photos that evoke so much emotion that you might just feel like you're about to float away on one of those colorful umbrellas. Hope your week has been as magical as this installation!

We had a chat with the innovative designers at Koncept and we want to share it with you! We discussed modern design, the importance of form + function, as well as future ideas for Koncept. It all started a couple months ago when we attended the Dwell on Design event. At the event, we ran into Kenneth Ng (President) and Edmund Ng (Vice President) from Koncept and we promised each other we would schedule a longer chat at a later date. Well, we did....

ESL: Are you led by aesthetics or function when you design?

Koncept: Both are equally important. Ultimately it depends on project. For the Zbar / Equo both were equally important. Sometimes, it can even change throughout the process of designing any given project. The Equo was a little more aesthetic when it first came out and was not as functional as it has become over time.

K: We maintain a very free creative process, finding inspiration everywhere including magazines, architecture, open houses. New materials inspire as well. LEDs inspired us to jump in and designZbar. If we find a good material, we are able to create an exciting design around it.

ESL: Since you mentioned architecture, do you have any favorite architects?

K: Frank Gehry, especially his residential building in Hong Kong. He inspires us to do something special that no one else is doing.

Equo Task Lamp

ESL: How do you select materials?

K: Mostly market availability, need, and pure inspiration become the factors in our material selection process. For example, organic LED is a new material we are starting to work with. It's made with organic materials and consists of a thin sheet of material that glows strongly. They aren't cost effective yet so that's where need comes in. So far, it only last 10k hours vs. 50k of regular LEDs. It's jut not efficient enough yet.

Z Bar Task Lamp

ESL: Why LED? What is all the hype? And what are the negatives, if any?

K: LEDs lasts a long time and they are better for our environment. If we switch to LEDs for general lighting, we’ll have less impact on the environment in the long run. Even though the technology is more expensive, consumers need to see that they last 1000s of hrs longer. Consumers will come out on top by lowering their electricity bill and helping the environment at the same time.

The good news is, the cost is coming down. There have been so many advancements lately. We predict the demand for old bulbs will fade out and the cost will continue coming down.

Mosso Task Lamp

ESL: What's in the future for Koncept?

K: Well, most of our current products are for small areas, like desk tops. We want to expand into other categories and do more residential lighting fixtures, possibly large scale modern chandeliers and pendants. We also want to do ambient lighting as well, impacting an entire space with light rather than just a desk top.

Of course we also want to continue monitoring the development of organic LEDs.

Thanks Koncept!

I think we can all agree that there is excitement for what Koncept does next and there's no doubt we will bring it to you as it happens!

Many of us are greatly influenced by our environment and especially our work environment, but there are few modern office designs out there that really inspire you. Office design can do wonders for your productivity, creativity, and overall sense of well-being throughout the work week, but I think that many business owners fail to understand the full impact it has on their employees.

Creating peace of mind in a stressful environment is something that can be hard to do, but the design of your space can really help you achieve this! Vasiliy Butenko did a marvelous job on the design of Concept Office "Attic" by creating a thoughtful plan and a more enjoyable workplace.

A central volume within the space houses the workstations and is surrounded by a more comfortable lounge area with exposed vaulted ceilings. The rose colored volume becomes the main feature of this interior and is framed nicely by the natural wood walls and ceiling. Low, modern lounge sofas create a relaxed area perfect for flipping through the stacks of books that line the walls.

The sleek black furniture, warm wood accents, and modern pendant lighting balance nicely with the strong choice of color in the space. An exposed bulb glass pendant light works beautifully in clusters, or it can stand alone. It doesn't clutter the space, but still adds visual interest.

These textured wood walls create a beautiful softness while the pendant lights hang with grace from above. It's a modern environment with a cozy atmosphere that makes employees and clients alike feel like they're at home. Table and floor lamps are sculptural in form, and in this setting they're almost as beautiful as a piece of art.

The concrete bathroom provides full amenities to the employees, making the office feel like an extension of their home. It's a beautiful bathroom in and of itself. In the work environment it's exquisite.

The outdoor seating provides a great area to relax and take in the ocean views. What an incredible place to let your creative energy flow.